My parents are intelligent and thoughtful people. Anything that they agree is correct, gets a high prior by default. In general, that rule serves me well.
There are many other intelligent and thoughtful people who disagree. Why—epistemically, not historically—do you place particular weight on your parents’ beliefs? How did they come by those beliefs?
I’m afraid my reasons are mainly historical. My parents were there at a very formative time in my life. The best epistemic reason that I can give is that my father is a very wise and experienced man, whose opinions and knowledge I give a very large weight when setting my priors. There are intelligent and thoughtful people who would disagree on this matter; but I do not know them as well as my father, and I do not weigh their opinions as highly when setting priors.
How did they come by those beliefs?
Ah; for that, we shall have to consider the case of my grandparents, one in particular… it’s a long historical chain, and I’m not sure quite where it ends.
Actually, I gave God’s existence a fairly high prior from the start. The slight evidence merely reinforced that.
And yes, we can’t really have a meaningful debate over it.
Why the high prior, out of curiosity ?
My parents are intelligent and thoughtful people. Anything that they agree is correct, gets a high prior by default. In general, that rule serves me well.
There are many other intelligent and thoughtful people who disagree. Why—epistemically, not historically—do you place particular weight on your parents’ beliefs? How did they come by those beliefs?
I’m afraid my reasons are mainly historical. My parents were there at a very formative time in my life. The best epistemic reason that I can give is that my father is a very wise and experienced man, whose opinions and knowledge I give a very large weight when setting my priors. There are intelligent and thoughtful people who would disagree on this matter; but I do not know them as well as my father, and I do not weigh their opinions as highly when setting priors.
Ah; for that, we shall have to consider the case of my grandparents, one in particular… it’s a long historical chain, and I’m not sure quite where it ends.
Fair enough, that does make sense.